Jake Pauley

Period 8

HUSH

Dear Future President,

First of all, congratulations on your victory. I am sure you will do a great job as our Commander in Chief. My name is Jake P., and I am a 15 year old from Westport, Connecticut. A very important issue to me and many other Americans alike is gun control. People that have committed violent crimes and are mentally ill should not be able to buy and possess guns, for the safety of all around them.

Even though only 2.9% of people suffer a major mental illness every year, they are three times more likely to commit a violent act after already committing one (CNN). This means that if they have a record of violent acts, even if the act was minor, they have a much higher chance of hurting others again. The worst thing for the safety of others would be to give the mentally ill the opportunity to harm someone with a gun, whether it be intentional or not. Although there are many factors that go into why someone commits a violent act with a gun, anger and depression is a leading contributor to gun violence. I do agree that everyone should be allowed to bear arms, but this should not apply to people with a mental disorder as they are is three time more likely to harm others because of anger, depression or other mental illnesses.

Mrs. Clinton, I know that you have overcome great obstacles in your life. Failing the D.C. Bar Exam must have been a challenge, but then you moved to Arkansas to become one of the most well known attorneys and politicians in the country. After many failed business ventures and declaring bankruptcy, you have never given up, Mr. Trump. You both worked until you became successes. Even though some might argue that gun control is taking away rights, restricting access to guns for the mentally unstable and enforcing background checks more strictly will help keep people safe. Therefore, not only will these improvements help the lives of those closely related to someone with a mental illness but the lives of the average person.

So, as you can see, it is important to implement stricter guidelines before selling guns to mentally ill people with a record of violence, because they are more likely to hurt others or themselves. Providing guns to these unstable people would be risking others safety, which is more important than restricting the right to bear arms to everyone.